Tacitus: The Histories, Volumes I and II eBook

by the shouts of the enemy, contradicting all his own
orders. The result was what always happens in
a hopeless disaster: everybody gave orders and
nobody obeyed them. At last they threw away their
weapons and began to peer round for a way of escape
or some means of hiding. Then the Vitellians
came bursting in, and with fire and sword made one
red havoc. A few good soldiers dared to show fight
and were cut to pieces. Of these the most notable
were Cornelius Martialis,[201] Aemilius Pacensis,[202]
Casperius Niger, and Didius Scaeva. Flavius Sabinus,
who stood unarmed and making no attempt to escape,
was surrounded together with the consul Quintius Atticus,[203]
whose empty title made him a marked man, as well as
his personal vanity, which had led him to distribute
manifestoes full of compliments to Vespasian and insults
against Vitellius. The rest escaped by various
means. Some disguised themselves as slaves:
some were sheltered by faithful dependants: some
hid among the baggage. Others again caught the
Vitellians’ password, by which they recognized
each other, and actually went about demanding it and
giving it when challenged, thus escaping under a cloak
of effrontery.

When the enemy first broke in, Domitian had taken
refuge with the 74 sacristan, and was enabled
by the ingenuity of a freedman to escape among a crowd
of worshippers in a linen dress,[204] and to take refuge
near the Velabrum with Cornelius Primus, one of his
father’s dependants. When his father came
to the throne, Domitian pulled down the sacristan’s
lodging and built a little chapel to Jupiter the Saviour
with an altar, on which his adventures were depicted
in marble relief. Later, when he became emperor,
he dedicated a huge temple to Jupiter the Guardian
with a statue of himself in the lap of the god.

Sabinus and Atticus were loaded with chains and taken
to Vitellius, who received them without any language
or looks of disfavour, much to the chagrin of those
who wanted to see them punished with death and themselves
rewarded for their successful labours. When those
who stood nearest started an outcry, the dregs of
the populace soon began to demand Sabinus’ execution
with mingled threats and flatteries. Vitellius
came out on to the steps of the palace prepared to
plead for him: but they forced him to desist.
Sabinus was stabbed and riddled with wounds:
his head was cut off and the trunk dragged away to
75 the Ladder of Sighs.[205] Such was the
end of a man who certainly merits no contempt.
He had served his country for thirty-five years, and
won credit both as civilian and soldier. His integrity
and fairness were beyond criticism. He talked
too much about himself, but this is the one charge
which rumour could hint against him in the seven years
when he was Governor of Moesia, and the twelve years
during which he was Prefect of the City. At the
end of his life some thought he showed a lack of enterprise,
but many believed him a moderate man, who was anxious